Beginnings of The Liberal Catholic Church

         In the mid-to late-nineteenth century, the Dutch Roman Catholic Church, disagreeing with the doctrine of Papal infallibility and viewing the Vatican as having broken with ancient tradition, severed all relations with Rome and established itself as “The Old Catholic Church of Holland.” The See of the Dutch Old Catholics was, and still is, at Utrecht. Having success in growth, the Old Catholics consecrated as Bishop an Englishman, Arnold Harris Matthews, for the purpose of going to London to establish the Old Catholic Church in Britain. Arriving in England in 1900, Bishop Matthews set to work, and, with the substantial aid of Fr. James Ingall Wedgwood, the Old Catholics were established. In 1915, Bishop Matthews retired, and Fr. Wedgwood was consecrated as Bishop to head the Old Catholic Church of Britain. Soon, the British Old Catholics, under the leadership of Bishop Wedgwood, had restored many of the original teachings of the ancient Christian Church as found in the writings of the Alexandrian Fathers such as Origen and St. Augustine, including the concept of freedom of thought and belief. However, while recognizing the validity of its Orders and Sacraments, the Utrecht Old Catholics did not hold to these original, ancient teachings and requested that the British Old Catholic Church change its name. This request was honored and, in 1916, by vote of its Episcopal Synod, the “Old Catholic Church of Britain” officially became “The Liberal Catholic Church,” which name the Church holds to this day.

 

The Liberal Catholic Church in America

         In the early 1920s, Irving S. Cooper was consecrated as Regionary Bishop for the United States, and Parishes of the Church were established by Bishop Cooper throughout the nation. Today, The Liberal Catholic Church is represented by Parishes from coast to coast. The current Regionary Bishop is the Rt. Rev. William Downey. Headquarters of the American Church is in Ojai, California where the Provincial Cathedral and several buildings are located. The official name of the American branch of the authentic and original Church is “The Liberal Catholic Church, Province of the U.S.A.”